New Amenity
by Hazel394
Summary: "I must ask you a favor, Severus..." The Potions Professor almost gagged as his jaw dropped slightly. His eyes widened a bit and stared at Albus', ebony black meeting piercing blue. The unpredictable occurs when Severus Snape is forced to "babysit" Harry Potter for two weeks. Rated T (described abuse) (Severitus, NON-SLASH, post-CoS)
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: Hi! Here is the first chapter of my series called New Amenity. This story starts the summer before Harry's third year. Reviews are encouraged! Thanks for reading this... I do not own Harry Potter. Not even close. All rights go to their owners. Thank you!**

Chapter One

"As I was saying, you mustn't blame yourself, Vernon. In the end it comes down to the mother. If there's something wrong with the mother, there'll be something wrong with the pup-"

"Shut up! _Shut up!_" Harry's temper finally burst. He had _had_ it. Crimson blood boiled visibly in his face as he glared in rage at the hideous piggy eyes of Aunt Marge. The rude woman's mouth opened for a split second, barely visible over her wobbling five chins, before it clomped shut as…_zing_! A button popped off her massive chest, flying into Dudley's slab of cake. Then another. And another. Her cheeks were balloons as they expanded with her already unhealthily huge body. _Bloop_! Her blimp body floated up and ricocheted off the ceiling, quickly approaching the open sliding glass doors. As she ballooned outside, the wind used its invisible hands to pull up the huge lady up into the sunset sky.

"Marge! _MARGE_! I'll catch you!" Uncle Vernon threw one more of his slit-eyed scowls at Harry before jumping up to grasp Marge's watermelon-sized foot. To his horror, he began to start floating along with Marge. Finally, the man's sweaty hands slipped off the woman's foot and he fell to the ground with a loud thud. Aunt Marge disappeared in the skies' sunset watercolor of oranges, yellows, and pinks. Crashing into the house, Harry grabbed his trunk, slipped his wand out of the loose floorboard, and stumbled back out of the cupboard under the stairs. "_BOY!_ YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING…" Vernon was forced to stop blabbering as he ran out of breath chasing Harry.

"Almost there…" the thirteen year-old mumbled, sprinting to the door. He wasn't prepared for the blow that was about to come. The fat man had already unbuckled his thick, leather belt and crushed it down on Harry's right shoulder with tremendous rage. Yelping, the boy fell to the ground, trying so hard not to moan in agony as Vernon whacked him in several other places. You've had worse…don't give in… Harry thought in his half-conscious mind. With an insane amount of effort, the wizard stood up shakily but quickly. His head was spinning so much, he almost didn't notice Vernon whipping his belt to crash Harry's shin. Leaping, the teenager had just enough time to flash out his wand and stick it on the man's throat. He couldn't really use it, of course, but he liked how his uncle cringed when he raised it.

"P-put…that wretched _thing_ down, y…you freak…" Vernon managed nervously, trying not to let his voice crack.

"No."

"PUT THE BLOODY STICK DOWN!"

"It's called a wand!"

"I GAVE YOU AN ORDER! ARE WE JUST NAMING FACTS? THEN WHILE WE'RE AT IT, YOU'RE A BRAT! A FREAK! A WASTE OF SPACE! A WASTE OF TIME! A BLOODY WASTE! JUST LIKE YOUR DEAD, BLOODY, DRUNK PARE-"

"Don't talk about my parents!"

"WHY, EH? THEY WERE IDIOTS! DOLTS! Just…like…_you_." Vernon growled.

"I SAID: DON'T TALK ABOUT MY PARENTS!"

"I DON'T FOLLOW ORDERS FROM YOU, BOY! THEY WERE DRUNKS! FREAKS, JUST LIKE YOU! GOT EM' SELVES KILLED IN A CAR CRASH! STUPID, STUPID, _ST-_"

The uncle didn't utter another word before his head collided with the ground. Grimacing, Harry stuffed his wand back in his pocket as Dudley scurried to the door.

"D-daddy?" the fat boy stuttered, jaw dropped and piggy eyes full of shock. "Y-you…_killed_ him! YOU KILLED DADDY!" Harry barely parted his lips to say he merely knocked him out him before Dudley's fist pounded his ribcage. The wizard winced as he heard the crack of most of his ribs. "MURDERER!" The beefy boy crushed another fist into Harry's thin arms and dug his nails in a half-slap into his face, sending his circular glasses shattering on the wall. A thin layer of dripping blood lined the left to his vermillion eyes, joining all the blotches of blood, broken bones, and bruises. Red dots formed in his vision as he fought to stay conscious.

"_That's…for…my…father…_" he barely heard Dudley heave as the red dots covered his eyes and went to an abundance of darkness. Bending down, the fat teenager snatched Harry's wand out of the pocket, and snapped it in half, letting the remains drop on Harry's torn face. "Serves you right." He mumbled. Then, he ran out of the room to his mother.

• • • • • • • • • •

"Severus, if you would please step into my office, I have important matters to discuss regarding Harry." Dumbledore's face, lined with age, announced through the fireplace in Snape's chambers. The dark man, making an even more sour face, threw a pinch of Floo powder in his fireplace, and let the green flames devour his tall figure.

"What must I owe this…_pleasure_, to? What did your Golden Boy do this time?" Snape drawled, naturally refusing the lemon drop that Albus offered. Raising an eyebrow, he noticed the old man's face to be grave, an expression he did not express often.

"Severus, please try to remain serious. It saddens me to report that…Harry hasn't had the best experience at the Dursley's this night."

"Oh, so the imbecile has been treated like the average teenager, rather than his usual pampering service tonight? Albus, I really do not see the matter, he-"

"A neighbor who I sent to watch over Harry…tells me that…Mr. Potter has been…abused." The Potions Professor almost gagged as his jaw dropped slightly. His eyes widened a bit and stared at Albus', ebony black meeting piercing blue.

"That is not true, I expect?"

"I'm afraid it is…"

"The boy…Merlin," he choked. "Albus! Why haven't you fixed this earlier?"

"I had no idea, Severus. However, I need a new guardian to care for him over the summer."

"Then why did you wake _me_ up, Albus? Why not Mrs. Weasley? Or Tonks? Or McGonagall…"

"As those would be my first choices, Molly has been in Egypt, and Nymphadora and Remus are on an Order investigation. Minerva is on a trip. I need to ask you a favor, Severus…" Dumbledore trailed off, staring at his clasped fingers.

"Of course not! I won't take in bloody _Potter!_ Certainly, you took one to many glasses of Firewhiskey tonight."

"Severus, it is for the boy's health and future. Poppy is on a vacation, and I need someone who can mend Harry's injuries. Certainly you would do this for Lily?" The dark man's eyes flashed with remorse at the mention of her name.

"Do you not realize that I am in not even of vague similarity to a father figure? Especially to Potter, of all the morons you could say…"

"I must order you to take in Harry for the next two weeks, Severus. I'm afraid it's not just a request. Severus, please…"

"I am not _babysitting_ James Potter's son!"

"He's Lily's son, too. It is for the greater good, Severus. We don't have anymore time to waste, and I must ask you to Apparate to his house." Snape gave one last look of hatred to Albus, and abruptly turned, black robes billowing out behind him. He was babysitting Potter. The Potions Professor was going to kill Albus. Finally, he vanished from the Headmaster's office with a '_pop!' _And with that, he landed on the street of Privet Drive.

**A/N: Thanks for reading Chapter One! Chapter Two should be up by next weekend. Reviews are encouraged!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Wow, this is up one day after I posted Chapter One! Ohmygosh, thanks so much for the reviews, views, and follows/favorites! I do plan on finishing this fanfic, it'll probably be around 20-30 chapters when I do. I'm sorry to all those that thought this was Snarry, I should've said non-slash. This is a Severitus fanfic. Anyways, enjoy chapter two! ~Hazel394**

Chapter Two

He looked rather creepy as the tall, dark, figure stalked down the moonlit street. Straining his hearing, Snape heard a high-pitched shriek coming from one of the houses.

"Potter…" the Potions Professor mumbled, making longer strides as he quickened his pace to the doorstep of 4, Privet Drive. The man briefly wondered what the relative's reaction to his menacing image would be like. Would they scream? Cry? Faint? He smirked inside at the last thought. Finally, he brought his fist up and pounded on the door. The dark man waited. And waited. "Bombarda!" he whispered gruffly. The door blew up in a small smoke, resembles flying throughout the Muggles' front lawn. As the explosion cleared, he barely noticed the extremely chubby boy staring in insane shock at his appearance, and expression mirrored by the skinny horse-faced woman next to him. "Where's Potter?" he spat, hardening his stare into a threatening glare. The fat child pointed to a small, bloody ball on the floor and Severus felt himself sucking up air in shock. Quickly, he grasped the far-too-light boy off the ground and inspected him for damage. Which was quite useless, considering he had crimson drips and splatters all over him, along with countless bruises, making his skin color a blotchy purple.

"W-who are y-you?" Dudley spluttered, still horror-struck. If times weren't so dire, he might've found himself rather amused at the Muggles' reactions to him.

"W-ho are y-you?" he mocked, his sneer disguising his true worried expression at Potter's abuse.

"Stay away from my Dudders!" the woman finally ordered, alarmed. Quickly, he gave them both a mild hex, and left the chaotic Muggle room with a soft pop, Harry in his strong arms.

• • • • • • • • • •

Carefully placing the unconscious Boy-Who-Lived onto his bed, he noticed wincing when Snape touched him on his shoulders, knees, and other small joints. Cold, stonewalls surrounded the iron four-poster king bed, which was covered with silken black sheets. Catching the boy's shiver, the man begrudgingly tucked his covers over the battered child. _Well, isn't this a great day, I get to give up my own bed to the bloody Boy-Who-Lives-To-Get-Into-Trouble!_ The Potions Professor derived. Raising his wand onto Potter's chest, he cast a quick spell to inspect physical damage. A soft blue orb tingled throughout the boy's body, turning a dangerous, fiery red after leaving. His health state was extremely hazardous; he had seven broken ribs, four broken bones, and severe artery, vein, and capillary tears, making his blood loss a few pints. Making a mental note to hex the Muggles into insanity once Harry was stable, Severus quickly waved his hand to heal minor cuts and bruises. Another wave mended the artery, vein, and capillary tears. An abrupt scream left the teenager's white lips as he began tossing and turning in the dark man's bed.

"Uncle…sorry…please…" Harry muttered, squirming about. Potter shielded himself from what looked similar to some sort of invisible blow or hit, and it struck Severus that he probably was being hit or belted in his dream.

"Accio Dreamless Sleep potion!" Snape called. A midnight-blue liquid contained in a crystal vial fell in the man's hands, and he quickly unscrewed the cork and lowered it onto the boy's lips. _How do I gently force this down the moronic imbecile's throat? _Severus wondered impatiently. With much difficulty, the Potions Professor pushed Harry's lower lip down (as he rolled around), and let the sapphire liquid drip into his mouth. After much coughing and spluttering, Harry finally fell into what appeared to be a calm slumber. Heaving a relaxed sigh, Severus decided to brew his Blood-Replenishing Potion next to Harry's bed (_Since when is it Potter's bed?_ He thought to himself.) Just in case the troublemaker woke up.

After a few hours, the Blood-Replenishing Potion was ready and poured into an ornate, glass cup. It truly did have the appearance of blood itself; it was scarlet red, and had the consistency of water. Raising the cup to Harry's lips, the Potions Professor repeated the action likewise of what he had done before, but with a surprisingly much more gentle touch. The man's pointer figure calmly slipped Harry's lower lip down, and let the potion pour into his mouth, pausing every few seconds to let the boy swallow.

The Potions Professor liked Harry much more when he slept, as he had no glasses (nor did when he find at the Dursleys') to mock the appearance of his father. No rude remarks slipped out of his mouth when he was absent to the mad world surrounding him, deep in sleep. His limp body, resting on the comfy mattress, looked so vulnerable. He didn't look like someone who was supposed to save the world. He looked helpless. He looked calm. If the batters disappeared, and he wasn't just bones but skin too, he would look like a normal boy. But he wasn't a normal boy.

And for the first time in his life, Severus considered if he liked the pressure of saving the world, as he had been taunting him about for years. No, he didn't. The man realized. He just wanted to be normal. Severus put a strong hand on the helpless boy's shoulder, and sighed.

**I apologize for the short chapter, but I really just liked that ending and felt like it should just stop there. And again, this is a NON-SLASH fanfic. I'm once again sorry for any mis-communications. By the way, I will reply to any comments left by users on the last chapter, and post my response on the next. Thank you!**

**Victory-Starr: Thank you so much!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Update: I had to re-upload this for editing reasons. Anyways.**

**Author's Note: Phew. It's here. Can you let me know in reviews if you'd rather wait two weeks for longer chapters, than one week for short chapters? Without further ado, here is Chapter Two!**

Chapter Three

Dark clouds fogged Harry's vision when he attempted to open his vermillion eyes. Jolts of pain pumped throughout his broken body. The excruciating agony was so distressing that when the Golden Boy attempted to feel his surroundings, all he could feel were wounds and bruises, the batters screaming at the touch of anything. Managing a groan, the child wondered where in Godric's name he was. Forcing his eyes to see past the haze of blackness, Harry felt his heart quicken when he didn't see the hideous, dainty, Muggle room surrounding. Or the obese figure of Uncle Vernon, who would be lying unconscious beside him. The most surprising fact was that he was lying in a king-sized bed.

"Oh, so the Boy-Who-Lived has finally decided to exit his luxurious slumber."

Snape. He was in Snape's private chambers. What was he doing there?

"Snape?" Harry finally muttered, insisting his broken jaw to move.

"Yes, _Potter_. Take these." The Potions Professor admitted, handing the boy a handful of vials in various shapes and containings.

"Why…am…I…here?"

"I said to take those, Potter," Snape paused as Harry slowly began sipping the distasteful potions, suddenly feeling much better, "You were collected from your relatives' two nights ago."

"Why, sir?"

"That much is not important right now. Under the wishes of Dumbledore, I must mend your wounds for the next two weeks until Pop- _Madam Pomfrey_ returns. Now, sleep." Slightly regretting his harshness, after a few moments, the dark man added: "Wake me up if you need…something." And with that, the professor left his own bedroom, leaving the door ajar, and black robes looking rather bat-like as they swished through the hallway. Quickly fingering his wand, he cast a few charms that would alarm him when the boy awoke, and then pocketed his wand again. Heaving a relieved sigh, Severus rested on his black, velvet couch, dancing flames in the fireplace parallel to it. And with that, he let his most favored color, black, swoop over his vision.

• • • • • • • • • •

Loud explosions and an alarmed Dumbledore awoke Snape at the crack of dawn.

"Severus! Wake up Harry! The Hogwarts wards are being probed!" As the Headmaster's head vanished from the fireplace, the Potions Masters' eyes widened, overcame his shock, and fleeted to his bedroom.

"Potter! Get up! Hogwarts-" another deafening boom interrupted the man. "I need to get you Apparated to safety..." Silently cursing the un-removable Apparating wards, Snape lifted the frightened Harry in his arms. The professor unlocked his secret stash of emergency potions and grasped two invisibility potions. Gulping down the foul-tasting liquid, he poured another serving in Harry's mouth before taking his long stride to the nearest exit. He would have to discreetly run into the Forbidden Forest to get past the apparition wards without his death-eater cover being blown, and then Apparate Harry to the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley to be kept safe.

Peeking over a steep hill, Snape panicked at the two-hundred wand-drawn Death Eaters, casting various spells in unision, slowly breaking the Hogwarts enemy-proof wards. He couldn't just run past the circle of Voldemort's armed followers without his cover being blown, running with the Boy-Who-Bloody-Won't-Die in his arms. He would have to somehow trick them.

He couldn't cast any killing curses at the dark wizards that blocked his path to the Forbidden Forest without the Ministry locking him up in Azkaban for murder. Running downhill in his magical camouflage, an idea formed in his head. Coming to a mere twenty feet away from the ring of Voldemort's followers, the professor cast about ten Expelliarmus' at a speed that Harry didn't think possible until the moment.

"_Stupefy! Stupefy! Stupefy!" _Snape whispered. In less than a second, three of the Death Eaters were successfully Stunned and fell back with a far-distance glazed look in their eyes. The surrounding masked wizards were probably equally shocked and dazed at the sudden attack. Not wasting any time, the invisible Potions Professor, carrying the also invisible Golden Boy, ran through the gap he created in Voldemort's circle.

A cool breeze flowing through the eerie, naked trees signaled that they had entered the Forbidden Forest. Panting, Snape had just enough energy to Apparate side-by-side with Harry. And with a pop, the professor left the forest and landed inside the dusty floor of the Leaky Cauldron. Pale, yellow walls surrounded the stairs that lead up to the mostly vacant rooms. He had gotten Harry safely out of the Hogwarts ambush. Severus' relief was cut short as he heard the unnerving screech of Bellatrix Black from upstairs. _For Merlin's sake, why is she here?_ Snape wondered angrily.

"Bella, you say they hold Order meetings here?" the low voice of Lucius Malfoy questioned. _She's not alone._

"Yes, I can't wait to hear the shrieks once we capture them! They should be here in less than an hour."

"I hardly think that they'd shriek." A new voice, presumably Rodolphus Lestrange mused.

"Shh, I heard something. I think someone might be here early." Lucius whispered.

"I call first kill!" Bellatrix squealed, her voice hardly quiet.

"Shut up, Bella." Casting quick protection spells around himself and Harry, Snape quickly crouched under a coffee table after hearing Lucius cast a spell that would tell him if they were alone.

"Two people are here. Look downstairs, Bella. Rodolphus, look upstairs. I'll stay here on guard."

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Bellatrix squealed, casting killing curses and torture curses everywhere, breaking pots, walls, and tables. Snape guided Harry around to random spots quietly, avoiding being in the direction where Bellatrixs' wand was pointed. Eventually, she managed to unknowingly corner the boy and professor. "Are you…here? _Crucio!_ No, hmm, here? _Avada Kedavra!_ Maybe…here? _Avada-_"

"_Reducto!" _Harry yelled, ultimately surprising his Potions teacher that he could even speak, let alone cast a spell. His aim missed, however.

"Eeee! You _are_ here! _Crucio!_" Bellatrix laughed maniacally, catching Snape in the foot. Imageless daggers pierced every part of the dark man's body, invisible fingers pulled out his greasy hair, and arrows found his brain, stabbing repeatedly. He felt unbearable pain. His worst childhood memory of calling Lily a 'mudblood' replayed. And replayed. And replayed. And replayed. An invisible rope hung around Severus' neck, almost killing him. Through gritted teeth, he managed not to scream as needles squished into his eyeballs. His face was on fire. His blood froze and lava took its place. He felt like invisible graters were peeling off all of his skin, and then the tender skin was being thrust into by millions of invisible swords. _Do not scream. Do not scream. Do not let the maniac have the satisfaction._ Finally, the spell wore off, leaving the poor professor tender and vulnerable, still feeling the after effects of the insane discomfort.

"Lucius! Rodolfus! I found them! Come heeeere!" the crazed lady shrieked, once again releasing an inhuman, unpleasant laugh. Panicking even more, Severus realized Potter and he only had about two minutes before the invisibility potion wore off. _Great. I need to get out of here…_ The shuffle of footsteps informed him that Malfoy and the other Lestrange had found Bellatrix. After many attempts to Apparate, dread filled Snape as he came to realize that Voldemort's closest followers had put anti-Apparation wards on the empty tavern.

"Ah, why don't you two keep them still until their lovely invisibility potion wears off. Shouldn't be too long, they've been here for quite awhile." Lucius ordered. The Boy-Who-Lived and the two-way-spy flinched as cold handcuffs and shackles tightened around them. Luckily, the trio hadn't removed their wands yet.

The most dreaded moment came. Severus felt strange ripple, a ripple comparable to one feels an abrupt wave from a shockingly cold ocean engulf their entire body. He knew he was visible to any naked eye. As the process was happening, the other Death Eaters didn't even get to see his figure.

Boom! Harry's bindings exploded at will, and he grabbed his wand. Casting a Disillusion charm on Snape, he shouted six miraculous words.

_"Petrificus Totalus! Petrificus Totalus! Petrificus Totalus!_" the Golden boy yelled. The three dark wizards didn't even get to make a reaction to the event before they found themselves unconscious on the stone floors.

**Cliff-hanger? I'm bad at them, sorry… anyways, please leave a review!**

**Vividlove- Wow, thank you so much!**

**Karis- thanks! Here you go!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: I will not stop a chapter until it has about 2,000-4,000 words now, instead of my usual 1,000. My chapters are way too short, at least in my opinion. Well, with that said, read on for Chapter 4!**

Chapter Four

"Professor Snape…what just happened?" Harry asked, glancing nervously at the three unconscious figures.

"Not now, Potter. Come with me." The Potions Professor, still feeling numb from the Cruciatus Curse, strolled through the empty tavern to the wooden door. "Do not wonder around." he added, slightly concerned that there would be another ambush outside. Lurking mysteriously in the shadows, the teenager shakily followed his professor's movements. _"Visage Novoscious!"_ Snape whispered. Opening his mouth silently, Harry almost gasped at the unfamiliar spell. Slowly but surely, Snape's hair began lightening into a mousy-brown color, and began to bush out, taking the appearance of Hermione Granger's hair. His features softened, and his tall figure began shrinking into about Harry's height.

"H-Hermione?"

"It's a spell, Potter. I'd rather not be exposed as myself. Be quiet!" Harry twisted his facial features to portray a quizzical expression. The Hermione-lookalike's voice sounded exactly like Snape's snide tone. Annoyance flashed across Severus', or rather, Hermione's face, as an aggravated Bellatrixs' squeal broke the night's silence.

"Potter was there, Dolohov! We could kill him if he's still around! Alert the Dark Lord!" Bella shrieked.

_"Morsmordre!_" Dolohov muttered, wand pointed at the starless sky. Harry and Severus hid behind butterbeer barrels in unision, avoiding the gaze of the Death Eaters. They watched as a cloud began to melt into a haze of green mist. Suddenly, the mist formed into what looked like a deformed ball from their position. It rearranged itself into what appeared to be a colossal skull, eyes glittering with shining, emerald stars. Opening its glittering mouth, a colorless stream of smoke floated out, making the skull elaborate with small, but frightening details- enough to make a grown wizard run and hide at the creepy sight. Screams echoed throughout the unlit village.

"Potter?" Snape asked impatiently.

"Yes?"

"Run."

The boy wasn't about to disobey his professor's orders. Dashing around a corner, he quickly rolled forward on the ground, barely escaping the wrath of a Torture Curse.

"Bella! Antonin! I found Potter!" the recognized voice of Goyle Senior called. A fiery blaze of assorted hexes missed Harry as he ducked his head, still crashing throughout Diagon Alley. Mumbling a cutting hex, the young wizard aimed his wand at the fleeting figure of Mr. Goyle. A pained screech informed Harry that he hadn't missed. Jumping over a jet of green light, he fumbled over a crate filled with owl cages. Casting various shield spells, the Gryffindor student was dismayed to find them crushed back down only after a few seconds of Bellatrix's well-aimed Killing Curses.

"_Engorgio!_" Harry whispered under his breath, directing his holly and phoenix feather wand at the running Dolohov. A helpless, swelling Dolohov cast a shadow on the stone street that looked somewhat like a giant, expanding pumpkin. _Great, two down, a crazy Bellatrix to go._ Harry thought, leaping forward to avoid yet another vermillion blast of light.

"You can't run forever, Potter! Come to Bella!" the maniac cackled in the third-person. The younger wizard winced as he realized the truth of her statement. He _couldn't_ run forever. Where was Snape?

"Harry Potter…" a familiar snake-like voice called. "Come to me and spare your life, Harry…" the Dark Lord taunted. Harry froze in his tracks for a whole half a second. Unfortunately, half a second was enough for Voldemort. "Stupefy!" the Dark Lord breathed, so quiet that Harry never got to hear him utter the words before rendering unconscious.

"Where will we be taking him, my Lord?" Bellatrix questioned excitedly. Red orbs piercing, Voldemort's eyes gazed at the sky in deep thought.

"Apparate to our usual place. I will take Potter." The snake-faced man hissed. And with a pop, Bellatrix disappeared. Voldemort quickly approached the fallen boy, snatched his arm, and vanished from Diagon Alley.

• • • • • • • • • •

Spinner's End was where the stunned Harry Potter and the red-eyed monster Apparated to. With a relaxed sigh that was much too smooth and low for the Dark Lord's usual voice, black lines appeared on Voldemort's head slowly. Rapidly growing longer and longer by the second, they transformed into the oily wig of Severus Snape. The thin face of the evil wizard hardened and wrinkled to match the Slytherin Heads' face. What used to be the Dark Lord was now healing the slightly wounded Potter.

"_Ennervate…_" Snape muttered as Harry's eyes fluttered open.

"Sir…what just happened?"

"The Dark Lord took his forces to Hogwarts after finding out that the famous Golden Boy was there," the man drawled, "and it just so happens that the headmaster lowers his defenses over the summer. And you know the rest."

"Professor Snape, where is the Voldemort now?"

"Are you trying to get yourself killed? Do not speak his name, Potter. He has found himself unconscious on the floors of a building I will not tell you the name of."

"But, sir…I don't understand…how could he be unconscious if he was just there in Diagon Alley?"

"He wasn't there, Potter. It was I who was there."

"So…you used that spell to transform into Voldem-," Harry coughed to cover his slip, "er, You-Know-Who? It was you all along?"

"Yes, it was me, Potter. A simple voice change spell and my own spell transformed me into the Dark Lord. I sent Bellatrix to find her obliviated, unconscious, master."

"That was your spell? Is it like a Polyjuice potion?"

"That much is not important to you. We must return to Hogwarts at once. Headmaster Dumbledore has told me that the Dark Lord's forces have been cleared. Grab my arm, Potter." Hastily grabbing his least favorite professor's cloak-covered arm, he forced himself not to vomit as they Apparated to the Forbidden Forest.

Following the Potions Master through the chilly mass of bare trees, Harry fiddled with his wand, ready to point it at any Death Eater that might be beyond the forest.

"Wand down_,_ Potter. Ignoring when I said the Dark Lord's forces left, are we?" Snape sneered. A stream of moonlight lit the nonexistent path through the Forbidden Forest. Harry briefly wondered how his professor knew where he was going in the forest where everything looked the same: dry, cold, and empty. Deciding to trust Snape's apparent knowledge of the dreary forest, his boots crunched on fallen twigs and branches as he trudged through the forest behind the Dungeon Bat.

Squinting, the boy saw a faint, warm light in the distance. Very glad to be out of Earth's land of broken trees, his happiness was cut short when he saw the tragic state that the Death Eaters left Hogwarts in. Dancing fire reflected in Harry's verdant eyes as the destructive flames were still being put out by Dumbledore's efforts. The entire Boat House was in heaps of gray ashes, the lifeless color contrasting against the vibrant reds and oranges that were burning the path leading up to the Great Hall.

Ebony robes swirling behind him, Severus fleeted up the hill and to the Great Hall to assist the headmaster.

"They're cursed flames, Severus! Very dark magic! Do you know a counterspell?" Dumbledore asked loudly over the deafening roars of the dancing flames, which were approaching the Great Hall quickly.

"_Aguamente_ didn't work?" the dark man replied, equally as loud.

"I'm afraid not. It seems like Fiendfyre, but in a different form."

"Have you tried the Aqua Erecto Charm?" Severus now yelled, the crackling flames getting even closer. Albus' piercing blue eyes widened. The other man took that as a no.

"_Aqua Erecto!_" the two men shouted in unision. Strong, powerful, ice blue waters emerged from both wand tips, swirling in the cursed fires. The thick, immense, jets of water drenched the flames, blasting through them with ease. Aquamarine sheets of glittering liquid flashed through the last of the fires, leaving lifeless ashes below the glistening waters, the streams so shiny that they looked like sapphires in a liquid form. The dancing liquids slowly decreased into they finally were mere wisps of sparkling, small, orbs. The glassy orbs flew slowly back into the casters' wands.

"Albus, what should we do about the damage done to the castle?"

"Leave that up to me, Severus. I would like your help, though, if you'd be so kind." the old headmaster replied, eyes twinkling.

"What are we doing? Elaborate."

"_Reparo,_ what else?" The other man's eyes widened in disbelief at the spell name.

"Impossible! How are we going to repair an entire building with a spell that we teach first years?"

"You underestimate our abilities, Severus."

"Even you have your limits, Albus."

"I'm sure with the help of Harry we could fix the damage."

"Potter?" he spat. "A second year? Surely you've gone mad. He'd just do the spell wrong-"

"Severus, you truly need to be more optimistic. You see the goblet half empty rather than half full. Come, call Harry over." Begrudgingly, the annoyed, younger man walked down the hill, disappearing from the older man's view. A few moments and a bemused Harry Potter later, the three wizards had their wands drawn and pointed at the rubble that used to be the Boat House.

"On my count, we go. Three, two, one-" Dumbledore counted.

_ "Reparo!"_ the three figures above the hill shouted together. Harry gaped in awe at his own work as the rubble pieced together, assuming the shapes of bricks and boats. They pieced together seamlessly, like a million puzzle pieces connecting, eventually completing the puzzle that was the finished Boat House.

"Wow." The Gryffindor breathed in amazement.

"Well, Harry, it's getting late. I think it would be best if you left for the castle."

"Okay, sir." Harry agreed, his boots crunching earth under his feet as his silhouette moved farther into the distance until it left the two men's sight.

"Severus…how is Harry doing?"

"Fine."

"He didn't look very well tonight," the happy twinkle left Albus' aquamarine eyes, "he looked like he was in severe physical discomfort. Severus, if you cannot care for him properly, then I suppose I will have to find someone-"

"The imbecile was battered severely when I retrieved him, Albus! I mended several broken bones! I gave him half of my healing potions! For Salazar's sake, Albus, why do you think me so low as to not do anything about it?" Snape snapped, silencing the old Headmaster. The bearded man gazed slowly around, as if he was at lost for words. Finally, the long silence broke.

"What happened when you left Hogwarts during the attack?"

"We were greeted by a few of the Dark Lord's followers. I suggest that we do not hold Order meetings at the Leaky Cauldron anymore."

"Alright, thank you, Severus. I have some matters to attend, and Harry is probably waiting for you. Have a pleasant evening, Severus." With a slight nod and a dramatic swish of his robes, Snape left the small hill, strolling towards the castle entrance.

• • • • • • • • • •

"Professor!" Harry gasped, startled as the shadowy figure approached him. A copy of _"An Advanced Sorcerer's Guide to Dark Magic"_ clutched in his hands.

"Do not touch what is not yours, Potter."

"Sorry, sir." Placing the book back on its shelf, the second-year awkwardly twiddled with his thumbs. As Snape left his barely-lit living room to fetch dinner from the house elves, the boy quickly grabbed the book off the shelf again. Ripping out the page on _Cursed Immortality_, Harry quickly pocketed it after he heard the nearing footsteps of Snape.

"Dinner, Potter." The dark man said. After both wizards sat down at the somber table, it proved to be a very awkward first dinner in the dining room. Both forking food around the plates without eating, together they looked up at the other when the other wasn't looking, and then quickly looking away. A clearing of a throat ended the impossible attempt to stay silent.

"Professor," Harry managed, "could you explain how the spell you used the other day worked?"

"_Visage Novoscious_, or the Image Change charm, was created by…me. You just imagine what the living creature looks like that you're changing in to, and cast the spell. The closer the thing is to you in appearance, the easier." Snape explained in a rather annoyed tone, but gladly avoiding the unpleasant silence.

"Sir, is it just the Polyjuice potion…in a spell?"

"No, Potter," Snape sneered, "for every second you use the spell, it drains your…" the man trailed off. "That's quite enough, Potter. Back to your, ahem, _my_ room." After the confused boy left, Snape almost slapped himself. _Why did you almost tell James Potter's son that you're draining your light magic?_

_Why _are_ you draining your light magic? _The startled man wondered for a moment.

_You're ruining yourself with darkness. Ruining yourself…ruining yourself…_

**A/N: Enjoy the other side to Severus Snape. Ahem, um, did you enjoy the long chapter? I'm going to start writing my chapters longer; like this. I'll keep slowly making them longer until I eventually have like 4,000 words in a chapter. Halfway there! Anyways, thanks for reading, reviews are encouraged.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: A reviewer asked on Chapter Four why Snape didn't turn Voldemort in to Dumbledore (or the Ministry or whatever) when he knocked him unconscious. Well, first of all, he was disguised as Hermione at the time so his cover wouldn't be blown. He was allowed in to 'the building' because he was a registered Death Eater. He didn't turn Voldemort in because he knew whatever they did, Voldemort is still a very powerful wizard; Azkaban wouldn't stand a chance. They couldn't kill him because he's living on horcruxes (I'm changing book 3 so that he was already in his 'human' body by the end of book 2). So, he figured it would just be better so save Harry's life rather than waste his time on a wizard that's too powerful to be locked up and is immortal. Anyways~ read on for Chapter Five!**

Chapter Five

'_Cursed Immortality is when a wizard or witch curses their life in return for a form of immortality; so they cannot die but they live a cursed life. There is always a way to kill a wizard/witch under a cursed life, but it is never easy. There are different forms of ways you can live a life of cursed immortality:_

_Unicorn Blood is a way to live forever on a cursed life. Even if you are a second away from death, if you slay a unicorn and drink the silvery blood, you shall remain living. But on one terrible price: it will be a cursed life; a half life. You will have slain something pure and defenceless to save yourself. It will not make you live forever, but if you keep drinking it on the brink of death, you will continue living until something else kills you- in which you would drink it again. So, if you keep drinking it before a death experience, you won't die- on behalf of a cursed life._

_H…'_

"It's blacked out…" Harry muttered. The next paragraph had been burned and the spellcaster had only left the letter "H" to prove its past presence. The young Gryffindor had assumed that a supposed Death Eater such as Snape would have had information on how to kill Voldemort, but that article had been proved useless without the next paragraph. "Think, what starts with an H that could be immortal…" Harry wondered aloud. "Harry?" he mused. It was partially true, after all, he had never been killed after Voldemort cast the Killing Curse on him. But "Harry" would not make someone immortal, he figured. "Hermione…" he thought as he mentally ran through the list of things that started with an "H." Of course, Hermione was not immortal, but the bright witch might know what started with "H" and made someone immortal. "Hermione!"

Quickly grabbing a roll of parchment out of his trunk, he tore off a small piece and jotted down a letter.

_Hermione,_

_I was picked up from my relatives by Snape. He's been good I guess, aside from his usual grouchiness. Anyways, there was a Hogwarts attack, did you hear? I was there. I'm fine though- I was reading a book in Snape's chambers, and it had something about Cursed Immortality. There was a section that started with H- the rest had been burned, as if someone didn't want us to know about it. Do you know something starting with H that could make someone immortal? Owl me back soon please._

_~Harry_

After sending Hedwig off with the letter, he sighed and lied down on his bed. It was going to be a long two weeks without his friends.

• • • • • • • • • •

"_Langlock…Levicorpus…Liberiacorpus…Sectumsempra…Vis age Novoscious…_" Snape muttered, reciting all the spells he had created in his Hogwarts years. He was thinking earlier that he needed to create more spells. If he had done them when he was a teenager, how hard could it be as an adult? But he didn't necessarily need actual _spells_ (at least ones that were worth his time to make.) So that led the dark man to be cooped up in his office, thinking of add-ons to make spells more powerful. He had gone through all of his books about spells, and not a single one had anything about spell add-ons. It was time to visit the Hogwarts library.

Wincing at the squeaky noise his cushioned chair made as he stood up, Severus strolled through his chambers until he got to the door that led to the dungeons. "Potter, I'm going to the library. Don't be nonsensical- ahem, don't be _too_ nonsensical while I'm gone." the man in black-clad robes called. And with that, he left for the library.

Madam Pince was gone, ("Oh, look who else is on vacation instead of me- who's stuck babysitting Potter.") so that left Severus searching through the library, free of any disturbances from the rather annoying witch. Finding no luck on advanced spellwork in the main section of the library, the Potions Professor headed upstairs to the locked gate, which magically opened for the registered Hogwarts professor. Peering around shelves of the Restricted Section, he finally found a book on-

"Modifying Spells- For the Advanced Witch/Wizard…" Snape breathed, snatching the old book off the shelf. Seating himself on one of the corner tables, he hacked and coughed as a cloud of dust billowed into the air at the dramated flourish he made opening the thick book. Flipping through the aged book, he found a page that caught his eye. "Exploding spells…"

_Exploding Spells_

_An extremely dangerous spell add-on created by Miranda Goshawk was hardly ever used or noticed by any wizard or witch because of its level of difficulty it required. It turns any average combat spell into a mass destruction spell by exploding the spell beam into a huge array of small ones- perfect for fighting in large numbers. It could decrease the amount of damage it does, because the spell is split, which is what makes the spell extremely difficult- you must put a lot of power into the spell if you wish to cause destruction to all the objects hit by the explosion of the spell. It is very dangerous, because if you don't cast the spell far away enough, the explosion will hit the caster as well. The incantation is: "(the spell) Explodere!" For example, if you were to cast the Body-Binding Curse, you would say: "Petrificus Totalus Explodere!" The history of the spell…_

"This could be useful…" Severus acknowledged. Glancing around, he waved his wand to clear a few tables from the library, creating an open space. Transfiguring a dozen chairs into a dozen plush dummies, he focused on the spell he would recite. _"Stupefy Explodere!"_ he shouted, pointing at the dummies. The spell was barely a breeze to all of the dummies; his curse had exploded into a bunch of very small and powerless pieces, making the spell barely enough to move a feather. _"Stupefy Explodere!"_ he chanted again, trying to focus on the power of the spell. The same effect happened again. And again. And again. Finally, after a million tries, he gave up.

_"Reducto Explodere!"_ a familiar voice shouted, coming from outside the library. Snape barely had a time to react before feeling immense pain in his body and falling to the Library ground. Darkness. Slowly covering all of him. His mouth was itching to scream in pain. He couldn't feel anything but half of his body in shredded ashes. He was sinking into the unfamiliar blackness…sinking…sinking… The gloom dipped over his consciousness, and then the ebony eyes hid under his eyelids, forced shut. And they weren't going to be opening anytime soon as Severus Snape fell to the ground, isolated from everything around his dangerously still body.

• • • • • • • • • •

"Potter, I'm going to the library. Don't be nonsensical- ahem, don't be _too_ nonsensical while I'm gone." Ignoring his rude remark, Harry figured it wouldn't hurt to look up the mysterious "H" in the library with Snape. Jumping out of the comfy bed, the boy ambled through the dark corridors of the dungeon, staggering about twenty feet behind his professor. As the older male approached the large doors to the Hogwarts Library, the Golden Boy watched with amusement as the Potions Professor turned his head side to side quickly, greasy hair flying dramatically. _Snape makes it rather obvious that he doesn't want to be seen._ Harry thought with newfound interest as the man closed the doors to the library slowly and silently, locking them after. Curious to what Snape was hiding, the boy put his ear to the stone wall, straining his hearing to make out his professor's actions.

After a half an hour of the boring sounds of shuffling through books, Harry turned and was about to leave when he heard-

_"Stupefy Exlodere!"_ the low voice of Severus Snape chanted, seconds before the Boy-Who-Lived heard a small explosion as something happened to his spell. Harry listened with eagerness as the professor repeated the same phrase over and over again, each causing a small _"Pew!"_ as something mysteriously broke his spell. Guessing his professor wouldn't hear him over the small ruckus he was creating, the boy silently grabbed his wand and transfigured a nearby vase into a pillow. Moving the new pillow on the ground, he took a deep breath- he was so curious on what the spell did. _It's not like I'll be able to perform a spell that Snape can't._ Harry reassured himself.

"Reducto Explodere!" he chanted, wand pointed at the pillow in front of the door. The boy watched with sudden worry as his Reducto exploded into fifty small orbs, shooting through the pillow and at the door with very dangerous speed. Dread filled inside of Harry as he realized how reckless he'd been, performing a huge spell right outside of where his professor was- he'd probably have a million detentions. The orbs made jarred holes in the door as they seared through the library, finally landing on his professor's right side.

The Golden Boy bee-lined to the door in caution. Peering through the new burning holes, he screamed, but no sound came out of his open mouth as he saw Snape's eyes widen in shock as half his body disintegrated into black dust. The still-whole half of the man's body collided with the ground, causing vibration through the floor at the sudden weight. Unshed tears formed in Harry's eyes. The last thing he saw before running to fetch the Headmaster was the unmoving half of Severus Snape, lying still on the ground.

• • • • • • • • • •

"Sherbet Lemon!" Harry said frantically to the gargoyle. Stepping on as the spiral staircase elevated, he shakily stepped out, dreading the moment that was about to come. Knocking on the door, he walked in in response to Dumbledore's "enter."

"Hello, Harry. What can I do for you?" the Headmaster asked, the grandfatherly twinking shining in his cerulean eyes.

"Professor, I d-didn't mean to... I accidentally…" he trailed off for a moment before managing, "It's urgent that Professor Snape be healed immediately." Harry told the older man with undying nervousness. Dumbledore's eyes widened in surprise, his mouth forming an "o" shape as he quickly stood up from the large chair.

"Show me where Severus is."

After a few moments of intensity, the two males reached the library. Noting the holes in the doors, Dumbledore cast a nervous glance at the guilty boy flanking him. Pushing open the doors, Albus was not prepared for what he was about to see.

"Severus!" he shouted in distress. Running up to the possibly dead professor, Harry could swear that he saw the Headmaster glaring at him for a fraction of a second. Picking up the half that he could pick up, he quickly put him down on a library couch. "Harry, fetch bottles of Skele-Gro, Skin-Mending Potion, Blood-Replenishing Potion…" and he went on and on telling the nervous wreck of a boy. After Harry scurried off, he silently prayed that his close friend hadn't lost his life.

"Severus…" he pleaded, thanking Merlin that the blow had hit the right side of his body, avoiding his heart. He could barely feel the strained beat of his slow-pumping heart. Looking behind him at the returning figure of the Golden Boy, he quickly told him to make Snape drink all the potions. Dumbledore then speed-walked off to fetch a couple more potions, leaving the concerned boy with Severus.

After a lot of effort making the unmoving professor drink the potions, he finally managed to make him finish the last bottle. Slowly, the other side of his body began to reappear.

"I didn't m-mean too… p-please…" Harry paused to sob. "Please…don't end it like this." The still professor couldn't reply. The boy sighed and put a trembling hand on his professor's shoulder, hating himself for being so reckless.

**Author's Note: Okay, well, yeah, I'm officially evil. Please review- reviews are encouraged. Thank you! ~Hazel394**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Hm, looks like someone decided to take a two-month break. Er, sorry? *smiles sheepishly, pushes forth new chapter and shifts uncomfortably.* It's a bit short, and a cliffie, but I thought it best to end it there. Here you go!**

Chapter Six

Slipping his stressed head into his hands, Dumbledore let out a strained sigh. How would Severus react when he awoke? He surely wouldn't want Harry to be under his care anymore. Anger flashed across his mind again when he thought of the boy that had put the professor into the coma. Pinching the bridge of his nose in efforts to remain calm, he couldn't help but to be irritated with his Golden Boy.

The old man hadn't gotten sleep for days because they still weren't sure if Snape was stable. The Gryffindor had disintegrated half of his body, after all. The remorse kept flooding back to him as he kept thinking about when he had seen the half of the professor, lying still on the ground, mouth gaped open and eyes wide in surprise.

Deciding to attempt to clear his mind, the Headmaster turned his comfy chair to face the ornate windows. Oddly enough, it was raining, despite the fact that it was summer. Helpless droplets of rain clinked softly onto the patterned glass. Dumbledore turned his head to peek up at the charcoal clouds, the guardians of the newborn raindrops. The crystals of rain fell slowly, until they plopped against the window and dripped down slowly, landing emptily against the windowsill, ceasing to exist as another drop took the same fate as the last, repeating the everlasting cycle.

_Much like life, rain is._ Dumbledore heaved another melancholy sigh.

• • • • • • • • • •

Harry stared at his motionless professor in speechlessness.

_This is all your fault!_ a little voice inside his head screamed at him.

_Be quiet,_ he replied, gulping because it was true.

_You can't blame anyone else but yourself, you know. _Harry forced the voice into a deep abyss of his mind, willing himself to quit pitying himself and accept the face that he had just half-killed the man.

Finally deciding he had had enough, Harry left his professor's bedroom and returned to a reclining chair in his living room. Staring into blank space, he wondered whether it was raining very hard. The boy had a longing to go outside for fresh air. Everything in Snape's chambers reminded Harry of his professor, who was locked in a coma because of him. _A little bit of rain won't kill me,_ The Gryffindor decided, slipping on a pair of worn out boots and a coat before walking out into the gloom.

Kicking a puddle halfheartedly in deep thought, Harry strolled throughout the outside of Hogwarts, blind to his surroundings. Even the loud thunder wasn't enough to lift the third year's head out of his loud, racing thoughts. His guilt was enough to make anyone's system blow as he absently trudged throughout the storm. Rain soaked his black hair, which was openly exposed to the sky as he stared down at his feet, which Harry had no idea where were walking- and frankly didn't care.

He felt like an empty goblet, yet emotions filled himself to the brim. He was a shell of Harry Potter, a mask hiding a scrawny boy that cried a lot, blamed himself a lot, and wished to be treated like a normal boy for once- rather than a boy who was ruddy well supposed to save the world. Harry released his thoughts and also his mind as he stared off into the pattering rain.

• • • • • • • • • •

Potter was the first thing Snape thought of before waking up, climbing back into his consciousness. _Potter's left my quarters,_ Severus thought, annoyed, and frankly wondering why, in Merlin's beard, he was experiencing agonic pain in his right side. Slowly, memories began flooding back to him as he remembered falling unconscious after that mysterious voice shot an exploding spell at him in the library. He also realized he wouldn't of been conscious again if it weren't for Potter triggering his alarm charm he set on him. _Leave it up to Potter to break the rules and wake me up out of a perfectly fine sleep._ He mused, furrowing his brow in anger.

Grunting in annoyance, he couldn't move out of his bed because the newly healed right side of him was killing him. "Well, now I'm stuck here. How marvelous," Snape muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Severus looked up to see his door opening to admit Dumbledore, the old man's eyebrows raised in shock to the awakened potions master.

"Severus," he smiled, still quite surprised.

"Albus," he countered.

"It's good to see you awake!"

"If it weren't for Potter-"

"Severus, please try to contain your anger at the dear boy," Albus asked, his face turning into a complexion of snow as he thought that Snape somehow knew it was Harry that cursed him.

"I don't like to be interrupted, Albus," he replied coolly.

"You seem to be back to yourself," taking a glance at Snape's disapproving expression, he chuckled and added, "Never mind, now what was it you wanted to tell me?" the Headmaster asked, hoping to change subjects.

"The alarms I set on Harry tell me when he leaves the building. Those alarms woke me up."

"Oh, I see," Dumbledore remarked, glad for the subject to be dropped. His brow furrowed as he processed the information. "We should find him, Severus."

"I'm not going anywhere until this cursed injury of mine recovers," he spat. _The injury!_ He remembered. "Albus, have you found out who sent the curse at me the other day?" He could sense Dumbledore tensing as he asked the question.

"You didn't know?" he frowned, eyes losing their twinkling façade for a half a second, in which he slipped his grandfatherly mask out of confusion. _Didn't he just say? _Then it clicked. "I need to find Harry. I'll be back in just a moment, Severus," he replied, standing up and leaving the bedroom before Snape could say another word. _That wretched old man and his vague answers,_ the potions professor grumbled as he slipped back down on his bed. Slowly, his eyelids grew heavier and fell closed, the professor snoring slightly in his sleep.

• • • • • • • • • •

Harry stopped in his tracks as he felt a hand on his damp shoulder. Turning around, he was unsurprised to see-

"Headmaster," he acknowledged

"Harry," he replied, clearing his throat before continuing, "Professor Snape has awoken. No, my boy, he does not know that you did it."

"When should he know?"

"Harry, Professor Snape has every right to know who did it. You should probably tell him as soon as you get the chance. However, I must warn you, he might react…"

"I know, sir."

"All right, I just thought I would tell you. Do you care to explain to me why you were roaming around in the rain, alone and unguarded, right after an attack?"

"Oh," he said sheepishly, "I just, er, wanted some fresh air."

"I see…" he replied, then decided to drop the subject. Dumbledore turned his head and stared off into the foggy distance. After a few minutes, the old man finally spoke again. "Wonderful thing, rain. It's always pushed away, not many people like it. But it always comes back, doesn't it? So persistent." Harry gave the Headmaster a nervous glance, not really understanding what he meant.

"Um, yes, professor."

"Well, I better send you off before we both catch colds from the weather," as Harry began to turn around, Dumbledore called one last phrase, "and remember, when you want something that's worth it, think of the rain, Harry." The boy gave one last puzzled glance before saying goodbye and returning to the castle. _That old man is off his rocker, sometimes. _Harry thought in confusion and amusement.

• • • • • • • • • •

In spite of the sleeping man in the bed, Harry attempted to carry his overloading trunk quietly to the living room. _Clank,_ the trunk fell. _Bloody he-_

"Did it ever occur to you that you could levitate it, instead?"

"Professor Snape!" Harry gasped, startled at the professor's awakening.

"Potter," he sneered.

"Er…how is your- how are you?" Harry stuttered.

The man gave the boy a hard stare, and then smirked at the pointless question. The messy haired teenager gulped, eyes looking anywhere but on Snape. How would he tell him? 'Excuse me sir, forgive me, it was me who stalked you into the library and exploded you into pieces. No hurt feelings, please?' _This is going to go horribly._ Harry predicted, glancing uneasily at the professor. _Well, I'm ready as I'll ever be._

"Professor?" he asked in a small voice, clearing his voice at Snape's arched eyebrow. "Er, perhaps you should, erm, sit back down…sir…"

"I'll do whatever I please, Potter."

"Er, right, professor. The other day, when you left for the library, I needed to do some research, so I walked up a few minutes later…" he faltered for a moment, before finding his Gryffindor courage to continue. "And I heard the spell, and so…I think you understand the rest…"

Snape stared at the wall, digesting the information. Suddenly, an infuriated noise came from the back of his throat.

_"Leave,"_ he ordered menacingly at the student, who nodded and fled. It was _Potter?_" he asked himself, his clenched fists shuddering in mixed emotions. Anyone who looked at his porcelain-white face at that second would see anger, which quickly changed into confusion, then a flash of disappointment, until his face finally hardened back into its unreadable state. "Why am I disappointed?" he wondered for a moment, then quickly refusing his answer. "I most certainly did not start to _trust_ James Potter's son…"

Dumbledore's words echoed loudly in his head. _"He's Lily's son, too,"_ The former Death Eater really wanted to _Crucio_ something right now. He glared at the wall in fury.

• • • • • • • • • •

_Mr. Potter,_

_You know something that the Dark Lord would not like you to know. Meet me at midnight tomorrow night in the Forbidden Forest unless you would like most unpleasant deaths of your close friends, and your guardian, Severus Snape._


End file.
